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"Dear Mama" by 2Pac
"Dear Mama" is a song by American rapper 2Pac. The song was released on February 21, 1995 as the lead single from his third studio album Me Against the World. It was a tribute to his mother Afeni Shakur and he details his childhood poverty and his mother's addiction to crack cocaine. The song samples "In All My Wildest Dreams" by Joe Sample and "Sadie" by The Spinners. Lyrics You are appreciated When I was young, me and my mama had beef Seventeen years old, kicked out of the streets Though back at the time I never thought I'd see her face Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place Suspended from school, and scared to go home, I was a fool With the big boys breakin' all the rules I shed tears with my baby sister, over the years We was poorer than the other little kids And even though we had different daddies, the same drama When things went wrong we'd blame Mama I reminisce on the streets I caused, it was hell Huggin' on my mama from a jail cell And who'd think in elementary, hey I'd see the penitentiary one day? And runnin' from the police, that's right Mama, catch me, put a whoopin' to the backside And even as a crack fiend, Mama You always was a black queen, Mama I finally understand For a woman it ain't easy tryin' to raise a man You always was committed A poor single mother on welfare, tell me how you do it There's no way I can pay you back, but the plan Is to show you that I understand; you are appreciated Lady, don't you know we love ya? (Dear Mama) Sweet lady, place no one above ya (You are appreciated) Sweet lady, don't you know we love ya? Now, ain't nobody tell us it was fair No love from my daddy, 'cause the coward wasn't there He passed away and I didn't cry, 'cause my anger Wouldn't let me feel for a stranger They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless, but all long I was lookin' for a father, he was gone I hung around with my thugs And even though they sold drugs They showed a young brother love I moved out and started really hangin' I needed money of my own, so I started slangin' I ain't guilty 'cause even though I sell rocks It feels godd puttin' money in your mailbox I love payin' rent when the rent is due I hope you got the diamond necklace that I sent to you 'Cause when I was you was there for me And never left me alone, because you cared for me And I could see you comin' home after work late You're in the kitchen, tryin' to fix us a hot plate You just workin' with the scraps you was given And Mama made miracles every Thanksgivin' But now the road got rough, you're alone You're tryin' to raise two bad kids on your own And there's no way I can pay you back, but my plan Is to show you that I understand; you are appreciated Lady, don't you know we love ya? (Dear Mama) Sweet lady, place no one above ya (You are appreciated) Sweet lady, don't you know we love ya? Pour out some liquor and I reminisce 'Cause through the drama I can always depend on my mama And when it seems that I'm hopeless You say the words that can get me back in focus When I was sick as a little kid To keep me happy there's no limit to the things you did And all my childhood memories Are full of all the sweet things you did for me And even though I act crazy I gotta thank the Lord that you made me There are no words that can express how I feel You never kept a secret, always stayed real And I appreciate how you raised me And all the extra love that you gave me I wish I could take the pain away If you can make it through the night, there's a brighter day Everything will be alright if you hold on It's a struggle every day, gotta roll on And there's no way I can pay you back, but my plan Is to show you that I undertand; you are appreciated Lady, don't you know we love ya (Dear Mama) Sweet lady, place no one above ya (You are appreciated) Sweet lady, don't you know we love ya (Dear Mama) Sweet lady, lady (Dear Mama) Lady, lady Personnel *2Pac: rap vocals *"Sweet Franklin": background vocals *Reggie Green: background vocals and keys *Tony Pizarro: engineer and producer *DF Master Tee and Moses: co-producers *Charles Jefferson: bass *Paul Arnold and Leevester Clay: Mix engineers *DJ King Assassin: Turntable cuts (original version) Why It Rocks #As said above, this song was an amazing tribute to Afeni Shakur. #The production is phenomenal and very well produced. #The lyrics are amazing. #2Pac's flow is great. #2Pac sounds cool and great in this song. #The music video is amazing and detailed: it features an appearance from Afeni, who re-enacts her reconcilation with a lookalike of 2Pac, her son. #This is one of Pac's best songs, along with "Changes" and "Hail Mary". #Good cover art. #This song has helped influence the sound of many rappers. #The live performances for this song were really good. Bad Qualities #2Pac himself was unable to appear in the music video due to his prison sentence at the time. Reception "Dear Mama" received critical acclaim from music critics. Music Video 2Pac - Dear Mama (Official Music Video) Category:1990s Category:Tupac Shakur Category:Hip hop Category:Rhythm and blues